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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
As the world marks the World Day Against Witch Hunts today, the Advocacy for Alleged Witches, (AfAW) is calling on chiefs and traditional rulers across Africa to take urgent action to end violence linked to witchcraft beliefs in their communities.
This year’s theme, “Chiefs and Ending Witch hunts in Communities”, puts traditional leaders at the centre of the campaign to stop ritual attacks, banishments, and jungle justice carried out against people accused of witchcraft.
The lead presenter for this year’s observance is Dr. Leo Igwe, in Religious Studies from the University of Bayreuth.
In a statement marking the day, AfAW said chiefs are “key actors in the field of witchcraft” and critical to either reinforcing or eradicating witch persecutions, especially in rural areas.
“Chiefs, traditional rulers, and community leaders are critical in the management of witchcraft accusations,” the organisation stated. “In many cases, chiefs enable witch hunts, they engage in witch finding and identification. Chiefs preside over witch trials and banishment of alleged witches. They sanction and condone jungle justice for accused persons.”
AfAW argues that witch hunting is often upheld as ‘tradition and culture’ instead of being treated as a crime. The group is urging all chiefs to become “agents of positive and progressive change” and to speak out against abuses, including stoning, burying alive, and lynching of alleged witches.
In urging states to combat human rights violations perpetrated in the name of witchcraft or ritualistic beliefs, August has been set aside globally to highlight these abuses, raise awareness, and outline measures to address them.
Founded in 2020, AfAW is currently running a decade of activism against witch hunts in Africa from 2020 to 2030. The organisation says its goal is to “make witch hunts history, and realise a witch hunting free Africa.”
“All chiefs should know that witch hunting is unconstitutional and cannot be tolerated or justified as a form of African culture or tradition,” AfAW added. “All chiefs should become advocates against witch persecution nationwide and continent wide.”
The World Day Against Witch Hunts is observed annually to draw attention to communities still affected by accusations and attacks tied to witchcraft beliefs.
